Trip-controlled electric contact breaker governor



y 1954 R. s. HALEY 2,677,733

TRIP-CONTROLLED ELECTRIC CONTACT BREAKER GOVERNOR Filed Aug. 5, l949 2Sheets-Sheet l I n ventor Richard 5. Haley 3 30 88 amt R. S. HALEY May4, 1954 TRIP-CONTROLLED ELECTRI C CONTACT BREAKER GOVERNOR 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 5, 1949 Inventor Richard S. Haley B, @wwi iuWWW 3M):

Patented May 4, 1954 TRIP-CONTROLLED ELECTRIC CONTACT BREAKER GOVERNORRichard S. Haley, Sioux City, Iowa Application'August 5, 1949, SerialNo. 108,727

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to novel and useful improvements in attachmentsfor vehicles.

An object of this invention is to regulate the maximum speed of avehicle through the medium of an operator which is connected with meansfor so regulating the speed, the operator being controlled by means of akey and lock so that once the desired maximum speed i set, itrequiresthe same key (or one identical thereto) to change the maximum speedlimitation imposed on the vehicle.

Another object of this invention is to reflect directly on a dial whichis calibrated in accordance with the corresponding speed of the vehicleas when being viewed on the speedometer, the speed of the vehicle which-is'to be the maximum.

Another object of this invention-is to adjust and regulate a switchmechanism which is interposed in the distributor circuit so that thespeed responsive governor, preferably of the fiyball type, is renderedoperative to such an extent and degree as to operate the switch at thevarious pre-selected speeds.

Another object of this invention is to incorporate the teachings hereineither in existing vehicles or vehicles in their manufacture and toobtain rotative speed of the governor by a convenient connection withany component of the vehicle which is operated proportional tothe-forward movement of the vehicle.

Ancillary objects and features of novelty will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art in following the description-of the preferred form ofthe invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary elevational viewof a portion of the interiorof the vehicle having parts brokenaway in section (steering wheel andsteerin column) so as to illustrate the more pertinent parts of thevehicle and the'device of-the invention as applied to a vehicle;

'igure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the casing or housing forthe various components to be disposed therein together with anelevational showing or a conventional speedometer'together with the dialand operator mechanism forming an important of the invention;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line3-3 of Figure 2 baths direction. of .ac arrows;

Figure dis a transverse sectional view taken on theiine 57- of Figure 2and inthe direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the switch'and a portion of theoperating rneansthereior, used for the purpose of opening and closing anecessary circuit for engine operation such as the circuit including'thedistributor-of the vehicle; and

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view of a'portion of the switchcontrol operator taken substantially on the-line 3-8 of Figure 2 and inthe direction of thearrows.

Conventional vehicle structure The Vehicle dashboard i0 is illustratedinFigure 1 and includes certain various-appurtenances contiguous to avehicle such as the conventional speedometer i2 together withasteeringcolumn is and its housing 16.

The distributor coil I8 is shown as having its necessary ground stand anignition switch 22 is interposed in the lineM.

A speedometer cable 26'disposed in its sheath 28 is interrupted butcontinues at 26 and 28.

Structure of one embodiment The casing 38 is illustrated as beingcomposed of a commercial plastic material with'hemispherical endsections 32 and M, respectively, hinged thereto by'means of-the'hinges3t and '35. Seals it and 52, respectively, passed through suitableapertures in cars attached to the end sections and the housing centerpart 39, maintain the end sections inplace so that they cannot be openedwithout breaking the seals.

A shaft i l is disposed in suitable anti-friction bearings 55 and it'whichare carried by the end partitionsor walls 5% and 52 of the housingor case at. Thrust bearings 54 and its; a e fixed to the shaft at andthere is an eye 58 and an eye 6t disposed-at opposite ends of the saidshaft 54 and within the hemispherical end sections 32 and 34,respectively.

A conventional flyball governor generally indicated $2 is disposed onthe shaft M in the usual manner, that is, one end fi l-being fixed andthe other end 6t being slidable thereon. The said end 6G is ofamplediaineter so as to operate a switch operating mechanism or devicewhich is disposed on the bottom of the case 36.

This switch operating device consists of a support it which is disposedon the bottom of the case 3i! and which has a pair of parallel arms i2and it, respectively, pivoted thereto by means of suitable pivot pins. Ascrew 18 is threadedly disposed in an internally threaded bore withinthe threaded element or member it so that rotation of the screw isimparted to the support it whereby it is moved axially with respect tothe screw it. The said screw it is'mounted at its ends in suit- 3 ablebearings 86 and 82, respectively, which are carried by the ends 5t! and52 of the case til. Thrust bearings 84 are disposed on the screw 16 toserve their conventional function.

The upper end of the arm or link I2 has a foot 86 integral therewith forengagement by the end 66 of the fiyball governor mechanism 52.Accordingly, since the shaft Mi and the screw it are parallel to eachother, when the end '66 of the flyball governor is operated, the arm ii!is pivoted by engagement of the end with the foot 86. But, the arm l2has a pitman 88 secured thereto and also to the said arm M. The upperend of the arm M has a contact 92 carried thereby for engagement with acontact to which is fixed on the post 34. Suitable insulation 9b isdisposed in appropriate places with respect to each contact, insulatingit from the arm 14 and the post 94, respectively. The wires 33 and Hill,respectively, are attached to suitable posts which are in electricalcommunication with the contacts 90 and 92.

The said Wires 58 and Hit are attached to binding posts H12 and the,which binding posts are carried by the end of the case as and whichbinding posts pass therethroug'h. The wire 24, previously described, ispassed through a grommet I853 in the hemispherical end section 34 andterminates in electrical communication with the binding post m2. Thenthe wire 24 in effect continues through the binding post .132, throughthe switch mechanism including the contacts and then through the bindingpost led through the medium of the wire 98 so that the said conductor 24may then extend to the distributor.

A block I having a longitudinal passage i722 therethrough is providedwith a suitable clamp (Figure 1) I24 for fixing the block to thesteering column housing IS, whereby it may be conveniently accessible tothe operator of the vehicle. The passage I22 has an enlargement I25therein to accommodate the worm 23. This worm forms a part of anoperator for the screw 18. A suitable knob Hill is secured to the smalllength of shaft having the worm i 28 therein and has an eye or othersuitable coupling M2 at the opposite end thereof.

The worm is enmeshed with a gear I34 which through conventional gearingis adapted to oper ate the needle or pointer I 3b.

The pointer forms a part of a gauge or indicator generally indicated atI 353 which is calibrated in the same manner as an ordinary speedometerI2. The calibrations oi the indicator face I40 are in this country,miles per hour.

An ordinary lock M2 of the key-controlled type is disposed in the block12s. The keeper of the lock is disposed in one of the series of openingsI44 formed in the said gear l3 l. Hence, when the key-operated lock isturned to the inoperative position, the operator mechanism may beactuated by means of the knob to. But, when the key-operated lock I 42is in the operative position, the plunger or keeper thereof into one ofthe series of apertures Md thereby preventing rotation of the operatorby holding the gear I34 which is in mesh with the worm I28.

Operation When the vehicle attains a speed, in the normal course ofevents, the speedometer cable 26 rotated. However, interposed in thespeedometer cable is the mechanism disclosed in Figure 2. When thismechanism is rotated, as by the speed ometer cable 26 or any othercomponent which is actuated proportional to the speed or the vehicle,the flyball governor B2 is also operated. When this flyball governor hasits slidable end 58 pulled inwardly a, suificient amount as to operatethe switch mechanism, the distributor circuit is broken. Any othercircuit which is necessary for the operation of the vehicle may bebroken by simply appropriately connecting the wiring.

When it is desired to set the speed governor and have it maintained inthe predetermined position, it is necessary only to rotate the knob I30to obtain a reading on the dial face I indicating the number of milesper hour at which the flyball governor end 66 will operate the switch tobreak the vehicle engine circuit.

When the knob I30 is so rotated, it is locked in the desired position bymeans of a key whereby removal of the key renders it exceedinglydiliicult and, in fact, impossible without damage, to reset the governormechanism.

In practicing the invention it is, of course, necessary that the threadson the screw I6 be of such pitch when taken into consideration with theresiliency in the spring arms of the i'iyball governor that the markingson the dial properly reflects miles per hour in connection with thespeed of the vehicle.

What happens specifically when the knob 355 is rotated, the hand orpointer I35 is also rotated to indicate on the dial face I40. But, atthe same time, since the cable Hill is attached in the eye 62 at the endof the screw 16 and is also attac 1951 at the other end in the eye I32,the screw it is rotated. This rotation moves the support ll axially withrespect to the case 30. Hence, the arms 12 and 14 together with thepitrnan are shifted bodily within the case 30 by the action of the screwin the threaded bore of the support 70. Accordingly, it requires alarger travel of the end 66 of the ilyball governor to sufiicientlyoperate the arms whereby the con tacts 9i and 92 are separated from eachother.

In order to insure proper contacting relation-- ship of the two contactsand $2, a spring HE] is fixed to the arm 14 and also to the support Iii.The spring opposes the pivotal operation of the arm '14 as actuated bythe end 66 of the fiyball governor 62. Conversely. the spring Elli constantly pulls the arm M toward the post 82 thereby pressing the twocontacts Eli and 92 together.

It is contemplated by the present invention to supply such a governorstandard and original equipment in vehicles. In this event, it would beunnecessary entirely to have the various sepa rated units to form theinvention. It would only be necessary to include all of the structurewithin a single case. also including the speedometer, which isconventional equipment of the vehicle.

Another contemplation of the invention is the utility of the originalspeedometer cable which is easily cut and fitted at its ends, when thedevice is applied to existing vehicles as an attachment rather thanstandard equipment.

If desirable, a separate cable could be run to an appropriate member ofthe transmission or drive shaft of the vehicle whereby the same gearwhich is used to operate the vehicle speedometer cable could be used tooperate a separate cable for the shaft 44.

In order that there be no possibility of conducting current from thearms l2 and M, the insulating material finger 86 is employed asdisclosed in Figure 5. In fact, all of the arms (i2, M and 33) arepreferably of electrically insulating material in that they are light inweight and prevent harmful and undesirable transfer of current thereto.

Having described the invention, claimed as new is:

In a speed control device for interrupting the ignition circuit of anautomobile, the combination with a governor on the automobileoperatively connected to a wheel of an automobile and including a membervariably shiftable according to the speed of the automobile, of a blockslidably mounted contiguous to said member and having a contact thereonin said circuit, a pair of parallel laterally spaced arms pivotallymounted intermediate their ends on said block and between which saidmember shifts and engages and operates one arm in one direction, acontact on the other arm in said circuit, a spring attached to saidother arm and to the block and yieldingly holding said other arm withthe contact thereon engaged with the contact on the 'block to close saidcircuit, a link pivotally connecting said one arm to said other arm tomove the same in said what is 6 one direction for disengaging saidcontacts to interrupt the circuit, and screw feed means for sliding saidblock to vary bodily the position of said arms, link and contacts tovary the position of said one arm relative to said member for operationof said one arm by said member at different speeds of operation of theautomobile.

References Cited in theme of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 877,175 De Fore Jan. 21, 1908 910,414 Perrin Jan. 19, 19091,117,361 Evans Nov. 17, 1914 1,162,361 Huddleston Nov. 30, 19151,250,290 Duncan Dec. 18, 1917 1,284,604 Core Nov. 12, 1918 1,384,730Crawford July 12, 1921 2,111,284 Girl et al. Mar. 15, 1938 2,206,503Jennings, Jr July 2, 1940 2,211,466 Kende Aug. 13, 1940

